Solanis is not a dark place; it glows like beacon in the night, a gentle, orange glow cast upon every tree and leaf in the colorful forest. Between the trunks the dragonfly leaves fluttered, glowing. It is peaceful, and you think it is beautiful. It makes you wonder where it came from.
But more than that, with how it glows in the dark of night, you wonder about what the matron said. The flowers—a few of them already scattered around your hooves—are supposed to be dimmed, but seeing them like this, you're wondering about the truth of it. You've never seen anything like it before. To you, it is wondrous, magical, bright.
You stop as the carpet of miniature suns thicken around you, stooping to brush your nose against one of the flowers. Its warmth scorches the sensitive skin, but not bad enough to blister. You sigh, and raise your head again, looking at Night Sky. She, if anyone, ought to know what is wrong. "They don't seem dimmed to me," you admit, sheepishly. "I can't imagine what this place would look like, did they glow brighter."
@Tech & anyone who wants to help restore hope to Solanis!
A handful of days in this place: scattering past like swan’s down in a breeze. Everything is half a dream. Seiji wonders sometimes if he might wake up, and then an anxious yearning fills him, fluttering in his chest. No name for it; just the sensation, as of an animal, trapped. Haphazard memories: of lights between trees, of winged girls and pale, distant cities. He is here, here, and he doesn’t know what to do.
Before, when he was younger and unacquainted with loss, he charged recklessly forth. Fear was a stranger; it lagged behind, nipping his heels. And he - so fleet. So arrogant. He moves now between the silent fronds of shadowed ferns, his dark eyes tracing leaves larger even than his head. Somewhere here, he knows, is what he seeks… But where? And how to ask? Maybe this quest wears on him more than he knows.
To be so far from home. To be alone. Always alone. Even the piece of hope he received from Kiada fails to soothe him. His thoughts: locked inside. His gait picks up, now a loose jog. If he can’t speak of his troubles to anyone, maybe he can burn them from his body with exhaustion. And he moves through lights like stars in the grass, miniature suns brushing his ankles. If only they could light for him a path. If only his own glowing satellite knew more than how to follow.
He isn’t alone.
Seiji hears them before he sees them. Then he stops, his haunches tucking neatly under him: so elegant a gesture, so light on his feet. As if there is anyone to watch him, now. But he stands still, his breath puffing, his ears up. Fear courses through him like an electrical current, vivid and alive. He still doesn’t know what to expect, in this place. Do its creatures mean him harm?
Would they, if they knew why he came?
But unable to succeed alone, he leaps into a more collected trot until they draw into view, however many of them are gathered, and then the trot melts into a kind of exaggerated walk, as if he wants to run but restrains himself. The first speaker draws into view: dark as night, a tracery of blue veins. Wings. Seiji draws in a breath, and then another breath, and lets them out as normally as he can. His eyes lift, searching for others - the impression of others, voices low in conversation. And he is approaching as instinct wills him not to approach, disgust rising in the back of his mouth, disgust and fear. At war with necessity.
Maybe they know something, he thinks to himself. Maybe they know. Maybe they’ll give it away.
His great being would emerged from the foliage, tall, strong, powerful. The spins and scale upon his body glinting in the light of the forest. He had been slower to follow Waker this time, though he had never quite lost sight of him. As he emerged he heard the other speak and he frowned. His gaze drifted around the forest as a sad expression settled over him. They had indeed grown dimmer, he nodded. The forest, though still beautiful, had a lackluster look to the dragon-kin. Having spent a lot of time within this forest, he felt as if it were his home. To see its great light dim, brought a deep sadness within his heart.
But he could not express this sadness, nor the knowledge that he had gained while dwelling within this bioluminescent land. His tongue was tied, silenced by the very rift that they were trying to save. it was only the sad expression, and the sullen way that he carried himself as he moved towards a patch of flowers that indicated how upset he was to see his home like this. Yes, something was indeed wrong. The land did not shine as brightly as before. Eyes lowered he did not sense the presence of the other stallion.
"Talk."
I may not be the most important person in your life.
I just hope when you hear my name,
You smile and say "That's my friend!"
As night had fallen the mare's true beauty came out. Her mane and tail dissolved in gaseous forms kissed with stardust. Her very melt, once a deep ebony, now glowed with a vibrant galaxy of stars. Her violet eyes glowed as she became a being not of this world. Yet the white mask upon her face remained in stark contrast of the universe that floated upon her flesh.
She was not with Roscorro or Waker when the black stallion spoke. No, she been further back as she walked through the forest. Like Roscorro she knew that the land had indeed dimmed. Though that did not stop it from being any less impressive. "Though it is still beautiful." She said, her voice drifting towards Waker. She could see how disturbed Roscorro was. He appeared to have some form of attachment to this land. Her heart went out to him. Though he had not spoken a word, he seemed like a gentle soul that one could easily grow fond of. "It has dimmed." She was still not beside her two companions. Standing at a distance and somewhat out of view from Seiji. Her slower gate had brought her up last in the party. But it proved to her advantage, however, as she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Another stallion was approaching. She smiled and back up even further out of view as she slipped into shadows.
Moments later she appeared near the stranger, as if emerging from the darkness itself. "Greetings, stranger." She purred, loud enough for the others to hear. She remained out of reach of the other's hooves as she focused her glowing gaze upon him. "Have you come seeking to help us, or are you lost?"
talk talk talk talk
Fear not this Night. You will not go Astray Though shadoes fall, still the Stars find their way
ooc: it's all good! I'm pretty flexible in where I can put my babies. As such K'yarie, having hung back a ways, spotted Seiji and went to investigate.
@Seiji @Waker Tagging because she addressed the both of them. ^^
It was true, while Solanis seemed to illuminate the world, it still had dimmed. And it grew dimmer, ever so slightly, with every passing minute. In fact, by the time everyone had arrived, the flowers had dimmed to a noticeable amount. And after a few seconds as the creatures around the flowers conversed, they seemed to flicker as though it was a lightbulb running on it’s last few strings. There were a few of the flowers that were completely out, however, a dull and sad darkness seemed to encompass those specific flowers.
A few more moments went by and a few flowers dotted around K’yarie, Seiji, and Waker begin to snuff out their lights. Perhaps there’s something around that’s blocking their ways of living, where they can’t get the nutrients they need to survive. Or, perhaps there’s a few diseased flowers, some that need removal. It’s hard to tell with the thick of the flowers, but if you have a good eye, you might be able to see what might be wrong with the flowers.
There’s something wrong with the flowers! Take a look around and see what might be causing the flowers to go out!
* Each round is 48 hours (give or take), and has no posting order. If you miss a round, don't worry - just post when you have a chance to! The round is open until Rift Presence posts again.
* New characters are always welcome to join the plot
* If you find the pace too high, let us know, and we'll slow down!
* Posts are encouraged to be 400 words or less.
You're momentarily distracted—by the glow of the flowers, by the colorful ferns, by the reason you call Night Sky Night Sky, by the shadow in the corner of your eye. It's horse-shaped, fluid, elegant, a black river pouring under the stars.
One of your ears is still turned back, the back of your mind mulling over what she said about the flowers, but most of your attention is on the newcomer. You don't know why—there's just something about him, about his grace, his energy, the blackness of his eyes.. it fascinates you. In your limited experience, he seems otherworldly.
Hardly surprising, in this place.
Then Night Sky simply shows up next to him out of nowhere, and you jump a little. It's not quite a flinch, more a start as nervous energy circuits your body; you flick your longish tail and snort. "Hello," you say across the distance, not sure the spell of the stranger is broken, but your mind is quickly reminding you of what's been happening the past few seconds: the flowers have been going out, all around you. "I'm Waker." You don't say much more than that, thinking—with a thin, surprising needling of jealousy—that you'll leave Night Sky to play with the stranger. Instead, you move over to nose Dragon Man's shoulder, before heading off deeper into the flowers.
It's obvious even to you now—they're dimmer than they had been just minutes ago, and spread out among them are ones that are, if not dead exactly, at least out. As you watch, another falters, holds on to its faint, orange glow a heartbeat longer, then it goes black.
Distressing. That's what it is. They're dying all around you and you have no idea what to do about it. You take a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart, to find your healer's mind, the part of your brain that kicks in when you're staring at disaster and trying not to lose it.
And since you have an ability at your beck and call, why not use it? Self-consciously your ears flick back into your messy mane, and then thunder rumbles; a refreshing, invigorating wave rolls through, soothing small aches and itches. Simultaneously, you light up with a glow of your own, but you barely pay attention to it—you just keep your head down, walking on, trying to see if it made any difference for the dying flowers.
As you prowl through the field, you notice.. something? Something that looks wrong, somehow more dead than the others, or broken, or—just something that makes you look twice. You place your nose next to it, breathing in its scent. Is it sick?
They gather for a reason. This becomes abundantly clear when a voice materializes next to him: "Have you come seeking to help us, or are you lost?" Seiji flinches away from the noise: a brief contraction of every muscle in his body, a moment of flight as he leaps aside. She moves like a hunting cat, silent. It’s impressive, even if a frisson of fear still tears up and down his spine, trapped. For a moment - for a moment he just studies her. Reflected in his black eyes are too many colors to name, like an oil slick. Like the sky over the deepest parts of the sea.
Her face looks like a skull.
He can’t tell if she means to frighten him, or not. But she doesn’t attack, and beyond her, the other two seem - if not friendly - nonthreatening. “Hello,” calls the dark-winged one, the first Seiji noticed. Seiji nods; he can’t return the greeting but a peaceful expression makes its way into his eyes. There is something - something - lingering about Waker’s gaze. Not entirely unfamiliar. For the both of them, he gestures at the piece of hope hovering patiently in his wake. He will pretend he means to help, if they can’t tell otherwise. Or, to be more accurate: he will help, and hope it leads to something. So far as Seiji knows, none of these creatures in particular have harmed him. So for them, he harbors no ill will.
But he doesn’t know what they’re doing.
And he cannot ask. He’s aware, gradually, of a darkness. His attention shifts from the gathered beasts to the flowers at his feet. Their faces, only a moment ago so warm, are fading… Seiji moves away from the pale-faced mare, his neck stretching down, to investigate. In his wake still that tiny, brilliant satellite, and he wishes he would ask it what to do.
His soft nose brushes the tops of the dimming lights. His ears twitch: back, forth, back. A moment of pause as something rumbles overhead, a precursor to rain which never comes. Then he shakes his head, frowning mildly, and carries on. Darkness lingers heavier in some places than others…. Here he pauses, inhaling like a dog after a scent. Here he lifts one hoof to paw delicately, uncertainly, at where the shadows dwell. Like pulling weeds? Back in the master’s garden, he saw the helpers doing things like this. His eyes are quick and nervous, darting from his work up to the others, half a question.
Like the large Clydesdale that had accompanied her and Waker on all of their excursions thus far, the stranger did not speak. Another mute? She had never encountered two wordless beings in one place before. He gestured towards the piece of hope that had come in his wake. She took this as a sign that he did indeed mean to help. She smiled, her features brightening. Then the flowers began to wink out, drawing her attention as a frown touches her lips. "I am K'yarie." She says to the new comer before moving off to investigate as well.
The sound of thunder booms over head and the taste of magic becomes heavy in the air. Her gaze drifted towards Waker, where she feels most of the power congregating. He was intent upon something. Wash e trying to use his powers to help? Her own magic was that of darkness and shadows, where as what they wished to restore was light. No worry, she could find other means to help. Gracefully arching her neck she brushed her velvet nose against the tender leaves of a dimming flower trying to find the source of its sickness. Perhaps she could sense a form of magic draining its light and life, like she could sense Waker's as it tried to heal and mend the world around them.
Her eyes scanned the area searching for any visible signs of illness. Discoloration of leaves, a fungus, anything. But was this really going to be a physical ailment when so much of what was wrong with their land lay within its magical realm? She caught the questioning gaze of their new helper and smiled again. "We have been given the task to share out light of hope with the forest, in hopes of saving the light that is dying." She explained. "But we must first learn why they are being drained of their light."
Her explanation was brief and simple. She did not feel it necessary to overload the stallion with all that had transpired. More explaining could be done once they saved the forest and returned to the matron, assuming he chose to accompany them.
talk talk talk talk
Fear not this Night. You will not go Astray Though shadoes fall, still the Stars find their way
His heart sank deeper as each flower began to fade. His soft features were sunken with sadness as he nuzzled a dying flower. His grey gaze looked up at the sound of the star-covered mare, noticing the new comer for the first time. He offered his genuine, friendly smile to the other. A nod of acknowledgement and greeting. But no words. Like the other he could not speak. His voice stolen by the rift. But his body language and gestures showed that he welcomed the other and his help. Before his gaze returned to the flowers.
Were they sick? He searched for a possibly answer as to why they were being snuffed out. Magic fell over him in the form of a thunderclap as Waker called forth his power. Could his own magic help? It seemed Waker thought that healing the flowers might bring forth some form of result. Having his own Roscorro called upon the warmth that resided within his blood. He directed it towards the darkest portion of the flowers, seeking to heal what was lost.
He walked among them, searching the area that held the darkest and most dead flowers. Surely there was a source of this problem. Like a river that had a point of beginning this too had to have started some where. So he searched for any signs of where the problem may be stemming from.
"Talk."
I may not be the most important person in your life.
I just hope when you hear my name,
You smile and say "That's my friend!"
As Waker’s and Roscorro’s magic spread over the flowers, the deadened ones begin to flicker. It doesn’t last long, perhaps a few moments as if they’re sighing due to the relief, but it’s short lived. After they flicker, the rest of the flowers begin to grow dimmer, faster, when suddenly there’s a patch that begins to lighten. The flowers flicker and begin to grow blindingly bright as if being suffocated from the dead flowers. This patch is the area that surrounds Seiji, as he digs up the diseased plants, the rest around the stallion take in a collective deep breath and begin to glow.
There’s a few more flowers however, drowning out the rest of the field. A few sprinkled out between all the equines that were here to take this task, their darkness almost like tar, beginning to seep out of the petals that have gone grey and wilted. Yet in the minutes past Seiji’s removal of one of the dead flowers, the patch seems to continually grow brighter, pulsating in a cheer as if to say “Yes. This is what we need.”
They relax somewhat with the magic, but don’t return to life. Seiji’s thinking in removing the dead flowers seems to revive the surrounding patches!
* Each round is 48 hours (give or take), and has no posting order. If you miss a round, don't worry - just post when you have a chance to! The round is open until Rift Presence posts again.
* New characters are always welcome to join the plot
* If you find the pace too high, let us know, and we'll slow down!
* Posts are encouraged to be 400 words or less.
Solanis
